Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 535

Whoosh.

The car moved slowly forward.

When driving on this road, Kang Jin-ho usually stuck to one of two styles. Either he’d step on the gas as he pleased, or he’d hold back, enduring his frustration out of fear of traffic police.

But now, it was neither.

The car wasn’t moving particularly fast, but Kang Jin-ho didn’t feel frustrated. Rather, he felt a little relieved.

It was because he realized that going fast wasn’t everything.

‘Come to think of it, I’m quite foolish.’

Most people believe that they can gain life lessons from the elderly.

In a way, Kang Jin-ho might seem to be in a similar situation, but if you look closely, the circumstances were completely different.

Kang Jin-ho was definitely older than Kang Yu-hwan.

This bizarre twist of fate had created the strange phenomenon of serving a father who was younger than him. Well, that wasn’t really important. Whether older or younger, a father is a father.

The problem was that Kang Jin-ho was now getting life advice from his father.

‘I’ve wasted my years.’

Was it that Kang Jin-ho wasn’t acting his age, or did Kang Yu-hwan possess more than his years?

The latter would be a good outcome for everyone, but unfortunately, Kang Jin-ho knew that the former was closer to the truth.

Looking back, what should he say about his life….

He fought and fought again, fought and fought again.

All that had increased in the endless series of fights, disputes, and battles was how to suspect his opponents, how to win efficiently in battle, how to win without fighting, how to completely subjugate a defeated opponent, and how to utterly ruin an opponent who couldn’t be won over….

‘There’s no answer.’

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

The preconception that older people are wiser than younger people stems from the belief that they have gained more insights from their long lives.

But those who have only focused on one path, like Kang Jin-ho, haven’t necessarily experienced more just because they’ve lived longer.

Kang Jin-ho was keenly aware of that fact these days.

“What are you thinking so deeply about?”

“About age.”

“…I’m still in my prime, though?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled at Knight Wiggins’s reaction, who seemed slightly uncomfortable.

“I’m not worried about your age. If we’re talking about age, I’m older than you.”

“Hmm, I suppose so.”

Hearing that and realizing it again made him feel a little more at ease.

It was awkward for him to lower himself to someone who looked like his son, no matter how you looked at it.

“I wonder what the Chevaliers [Knights] will think when they see my face.”

“Hmm…”

Kang Jin-ho said, stepping on the accelerator.

“Let’s confirm the reason one more time.”

“Reason?”

“Yes, reason. It’s better to be sure.”

“What reason are you talking about?”

“Before that…”

Kang Jin-ho said, looking ahead without turning his head.

“Is your commitment to stay with us unwavering?”

“Of course.”

Knight Wiggins said without hesitation.

“Why is that?”

“Of course…”

“Wanting to become stronger. That’s a good reason. Martial artists who are devoted to martial arts would naturally risk their lives for that. But that can’t be everything.”

Kang Jin-ho spoke coldly, unlike his usual self.

“People tend to create their place in life over time. The place you are now is a position you’ve climbed to over your entire life. But to kick away that position with your own feet and seek out a much worse place doesn’t make sense to me.”

“So, to be honest, I can’t fully trust you. So, tell me. Give me a perfect reason that I can accept.”

Knight Wiggins adjusted his posture.

It was because he sensed that this wasn’t a simple conversation. This was like a final test that Kang Jin-ho was giving him.

“I don’t know where to start…”

Knight Wiggins said seriously.

“I should start by acknowledging what you said. That’s right. I’ve spent my entire life reaching my current position. Knight. I don’t know if you understand, but the position of a Knight is not an easy one.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Lord, no, I should call you this now. Mr. Kang Jin-ho, the position of a Knight is much more honorable and weighty than you think. It’s a position where the cliché ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ fits best.”

“…And?”

Knight Wiggins looked ahead with a slightly bitter expression.

“I, too, have done my best in this role. It was rewarding, and there was honor. I also had pride in contributing to the peace of the world. But at some point, I realized. This isn’t contributing to the peace of the world, but rather a process of fitting the world into the rules set by the Round Table.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

He didn’t know exactly what he had gone through.

But he could understand what he was saying.

‘It’s a difference in perspective.’

When you look at a tall tower from below, it’s human nature to want to climb it.

When viewed from below, the towering tower looks magnificent and evokes a desire to conquer it.

But once you actually climb to the top of that tower, you realize.

The view from above isn’t as special as you thought it would be from below. Rather, the moment you look down more closely from above, you realize the discrepancies that weren’t visible from below.

He had felt that before.

“Even so, I thought I couldn’t escape. If I gave up everything I was in charge of, I would become nothing. The reason why the stories of those who give up everything for a new challenge are often told as admirable tales is because there are very few people who can actually do it.”

“That’s right.”

“So, after much deliberation, I saw it. The answer to the things I’ve been pondering.”

“That’s power?”

“No, it’s not.”

Knight Wiggins shook his head.

“It’s not power, Mr. Kang Jin-ho. What I saw wasn’t power. What I saw was people, not an organization.”

“People?”

“Yes. No organization can fully reflect the intentions of people. That was only natural. Everything is controlled under the laws and regulations of the organization. Even those at the very top cannot be free from the laws. I thought that was normal. But it’s not like that here.”

“It’s not that there are superhumans because there is an organization, but that there is an organization because there are superhumans… I’ve never seen such a form before. So, I became curious. What can I do here, how far can I go, and… can I become like you?”

Knight Wiggins had a childlike expression.

“That’s it. The image of Superman I first saw as a child. As I grew older, I realized that it was just a product of imagination. So, I adapted to reality. I could never become Superman. But… there they were, in this world. Even if their forms were different, and their actions were different, there were Supermen.”

“That’s a strange story. You already knew about the information from the East.”

“It’s not about being stronger. It’s about seeing and feeling the freedom that I hadn’t experienced before.”

Kang Jin-ho sighed.

He wanted to hear a clear reason, but this guy was just spouting more incomprehensible things.

The problem was… that Knight Wiggins’s face was too innocent to reject him. He didn’t have the ability to grasp people’s true intentions, but if this person was acting with that face, then he should go to Hollywood, not the Assembly.

‘Not bad…’

With his unique middle-aged appearance, he had a face that could easily become a Hollywood top star.

Kang Jin-ho shook off the rising thoughts and organized the situation.

“So, to conclude, you want to give up all your current positions and start something new here?”

“That’s right. If you need me, Lord.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled wryly at the subtly changed title.

He did need him.

No, the person he needed most right now was someone like Knight Wiggins, who understood Western martial arts. Perhaps that martial art could not only boost the Assembly but also Kang Jin-ho’s power.

“I welcome your joining.”

“Thank you, Lord.”

“Maybe… everyone will welcome you.”

But Kang Jin-ho’s expectations were completely off.

“…The Round Table?”

Lee Hyun-soo blankly turned his head to look out the window.

The movement felt as if he was saying, ‘I’d rather jump out there than see this,’ and Bang Jin-hoon tightly grabbed Lee Hyun-soo’s arm.

“That’s what he said.”

“…Yes, the Round Table. And he’s the master of that Round Table.”

“Hmm…”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled as he looked at Kang Jin-ho, who was answering calmly.

‘Just kill me, kill me.’

There are limits to what a person can do.

The worst boss in the world wasn’t the one who made his subordinates do impossible tasks and then ignored them.

It was the boss who didn’t know what he was making his subordinates do.

‘It’s more conscientious to have a guy in the army who tells you to go buy cola, a hamburger, and coffee with a thousand won and bring back five hundred won.’

Kang Jin-ho’s biggest problem was that he wasn’t aware of it. Not everyone in the world was a Superman like Kang Jin-ho.

“Mr. Kang Jin-ho, so…”

Lee Hyun-soo looked up at the expressionless Kang Jin-ho and Knight Wiggins, who was smiling as if he had no worries in the world.

No!

Kang Jin-ho was one thing, but that man was a Knight of the Round Table!

He had heard so much about the Round Table that his ears were practically ringing. And he was a Knight.

But how could a man in such a position not realize how huge the thing he was doing was!

“Excuse me…”

Lee Hyun-soo said with a trembling face.

“You said you’re Knight Wiggins?”

Knight Wiggins gave a warm smile at the fluent English.

“You’re Mr. Lee, right? Your pronunciation is definitely better than the Lord’s. The Lord sometimes speaks with an incomprehensible pronunciation and gets scolded. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Oh, yes… Thank you for the compliment… No, that’s not it.”

Lee Hyun-soo asked with a trembling face.

“I’m just asking, but does the Round Table know about this situation? Did you come after sorting things out…”

“Hmm…”

Knight Wiggins said cheerfully.

“The Round Table doesn’t know. I have to tell them now.”

“…Go die, you bastard.”

It was fortunate that the last words came out in Korean.